Gravitas, Communication, and Presence: Key Elements of Effective Leadership

Effective leadership is often associated with certain qualities such as confidence, charisma, and the ability to communicate effectively. Among these, gravitas, communication, and presence are three critical elements that distinguish successful leaders from the rest.

Gravitas refers to the quality of seriousness and importance that a person exudes. It is the ability to project a sense of authority, credibility, and wisdom that inspires respect and admiration in others. In essence, gravitas is about having a deep understanding of one's role, responsibilities, and the impact of one's actions on others.

Communication, on the other hand, is the ability to convey thoughts, ideas, and information in a clear and concise manner. Effective communication involves not only speaking but also listening actively, understanding different perspectives, and adapting one's communication style to suit different audiences and situations.

Presence refers to the way a person carries themselves, their body language, and overall demeanor. It is the ability to create a sense of connection and engagement with others by being fully present and attentive. Leaders with a strong presence are confident, authentic, and empathetic, which makes others feel valued and respected.

Combining these three elements is essential for effective leadership, as they all work together to create a powerful and lasting impact on others. Here are some ways in which leaders can develop and enhance these qualities:

1. Develop Gravitas

Gravitas can be developed by cultivating a deep understanding of one's role and responsibilities, being knowledgeable and well-informed about one's field, and demonstrating a commitment to excellence. Leaders can also develop gravitas by being authentic, trustworthy, and consistent in their actions, and by cultivating a sense of humility and openness to learning.

1. Master Communication

Effective communication involves not only speaking clearly and concisely but also listening actively and adapting one's communication style to suit different audiences and situations. Leaders can improve their communication skills by practicing active listening, seeking feedback, and being open to different perspectives. They should also be aware of their body language, tone of voice, and other non-verbal cues, which can have a significant impact on how their message is received.

1. Cultivate Presence

Presence is about being fully present and engaged with others, which requires a combination of self-awareness, authenticity, and empathy. Leaders can enhance their presence by being aware of their body language, maintaining eye contact, and projecting confidence and authenticity. They should also be attentive to the needs and concerns of others, and demonstrate empathy and understanding.

Gravitas, communication, and presence are critical elements of effective leadership. Leaders who cultivate these qualities are more likely to inspire respect, build trust, and create a sense of connection and engagement with others. By developing these skills, leaders can enhance their ability to lead, inspire, and achieve success both personally and professionally.

Click on the link to listen on Spotify Gravitas, Presence and Communication with Louise Mahler

Moving to a Circular Economy is better for the planet and your profits

A linear economy is a traditional economic model that follows a "take-make-dispose" approach to resource consumption. In this model, natural resources are extracted from the environment, used to manufacture products, and then discarded as waste at the end of their life cycle. This approach is often criticized for its wastefulness and negative impact on the environment.

In contrast, a circular economy is an alternative economic model that aims to minimize waste and promote sustainability by keeping resources in use for as long as possible. The circular economy model is based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. In a circular economy, products and materials are reused, repaired, and recycled to extend their life cycle and reduce the need for new resources.

Overall, the key difference between a linear and a circular economy is the way they approach resource consumption and waste management. While a linear economy is based on a "take-make-dispose" approach, a circular economy seeks to create a closed-loop system in which resources are used and reused in a sustainable way.

To hear more on this topic link into our podcast with Ashleigh Morris from Coreo

Click here for link to Spotify Circular economy is better for the planet and profits

The Modern Informal Leader needed today

How we lead organisations is changing, our people expect a modern day informal leader which is very different to what we have been used to.

Leading with your head and heart came to the forefront during covid and now in this post covid world it is expected that this is how we will lead.

In her book head and heart leadership Dr Kirstin Ferguson writes that leadership is simply a series of moments and every moment gives you the opportunity to leave a positive legacy for those you lead.

There fore we are all leaders and I love this paradigm shift we no longer need to have a title to be seen as the leader.

There are two leaders that are being constantly spoken about when we talk about modern leaders. One started their career as a disc jockey and became the youngest leader of New Zealand and the other as a comedian who found himself leading from a bunker refusing to leave.

I remember Ardens speech after the terrorist attacks in Christchurch, where she refused to take the name of the perpratator, she put on her head scarf and embraced those who had lost loved ones. In her speech in parliament she made sure she created a sense of belonging and show enormous compassion

Zelensky is seen standing side by side with his people, he hasn’t fled the country instead making a strong statement along the lines of the fight is here, I need ammuniation not a ride.

The world is using these two as examples because they are rare and they integrate their personal life with their public role and they lead with their head and heart

We are now understanding that managing people to do their jobs, drive revenue and profits is not what we want from leaders. Authentic leadership is the currency that is in play today, those leaders who have a growth mindset, are self awareness and have an informal informal style are being seen as the modern leaders.

A modern leader doesn’t feel they need to have all the answers, they are not perfect, they make mistakes and they know when they need to lead with their hearts and when to lead with their heads.

In her book Ferguson writes about how today we seek leaders who understand their limitations, have the strength to be vulnerable, they are humble, courageous, curious, value feedback and know that they will always be working on how to be the best leader they possibly can.

If you haven’t bought the book please do so, I have been listening to it driving into work and am excited to bring you this conversation with Dr Kirsten Ferguson

To access the podcast go to Head and Heart Leadership Podcast

Why I can't celebrate IWD anymore!

There was a time when I looked forward to the 8th of March. I would embrace the theme, share social posts, speak at conferences, and genuinely hold onto the belief that in my lifetime I would see significant change.

Just as a reminder to those who may not know what IWD is about – it is the global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter working hours, better pay and the right to vote. In 1910 Clara Zetkin suggested it become an International Day and in 1928 Australia held its first IWD day in Sydney where women called for equal pay for equal work. That’s 95 years ago.

We are almost at the 100-year anniversary of International Women’s Day in Australia.

Women and allies have demanded equality, equity, and inclusion for nearly a century in this country.

What has changed?

That’s why I am finding it hard to celebrate this failure. We haven’t been able to achieve equality for the decades of women on whose shoulders I stand and the young women stepping forward into the future.

Shouldn’t we already be living in a world that is free from bias, discrimination, that is diverse, equitable and inclusive?

I grew up in an environment that was discriminatory, I removed myself from that part of the family and never re-engaged. It is much harder to do this in everyday life. You may be surprised to know that on a regular basis, I face discrimination; I get strangers telling me to go back to my country and I am tired of fighting the good fight. So, to mark IWD this year, I am simply going to point out the facts.

As we head towards IWD on the 8th of March, take note of how many men roll their eyes or don’t feel comfortable participating in IWD. I invariably hear the comment “what about International Men’s Day” which, by the way, is on the 19th of November.

If you are attending a breakfast – often difficult for women with children – how many speakers are from a diverse background? And by diversity, I mean people who come in different packages – ability, sexuality, neurodiversity and nationality.

It seems that IWD has been hijacked by Corporates who make a song and dance about the current theme, give a token thought to having a diverse line-up, ensure that men attend the event, acknowledge their gaps and make no commitments as to what changes they are going to make over the next 12 months to genuinely close these gaps.

I stopped accepting speaking opportunities years ago because I wasn’t being paid the same as other speakers, or wasn’t being paid full stop. And today I know that despite the fact I am presented as an option to speak at events around the country, I am still seen as a high risk speaker….will I connect with the audience given I am an outspoken woman and Indian? One day I will turn up and do my entire presentation in an Indian accent, just for fun!

I don’t want to be asked how I balance my work and home life, or how men react to how confident I am, or how I broke through a double-glazed glass ceiling. And worse, pronouncing my name incorrectly because it’s inconvenient to find out how to do so.

It is hard to celebrate IWD when one woman every week continues to be killed in Australia despite the work done by many victims and survivors, the national pay gap sits at 13.3% (Workplace Gender Equality Agency), women retire on 23% less superannuation then men (ATO 2022). In the property industry, the pay gap sits at 15%, which has reduced from 17% so we are moving in the right direction.

In a survey I published a few years ago now, where I interviewed 230 women, this is what I found (and I don’t believe that these numbers would have changed much):

·       52% have experienced inappropriate behaviour in their workplace.

·       70% were interested in owing or a shareholding in the business and only 36% were provided opportunities

·       83% were interested in leadership roles such as General Manager or CEO

·       95% stated that flexibility was critical to them

·       61% felt their business could be more supportive of women

For most of my career I have stepped into environments that are either 100% male or where women are in the minority. My call out to these board rooms, management and executive teams is to make deliberate decisions now to bring more women to the table. You will never be as strong or as relevant or impactful until you have diversity.

So how do we drive change so that we do have something to celebrate?

Let’s see brave leadership embracing the following:

·       mentoring and sponsoring women into leadership roles, allowing women to bring diversity of thought, capability, experience and leadership style to the table

·       take the time to understand women’s ambitions and map a pathway to enablement

·       ensure a talent pool of women in succession planning pipelines

·       ensure there is parity in the organisation

·       ensure women are respected

·       ensure there is equal billing and intersectional diversity at all conferences

·       ensure flexible and family-friendly policies

·       make deliberate hiring decisions that value broader cultural experience, cultural capabilities and language skills

·       curate boards and internal teams that are genuinely and intentionally diverse

·       keep the conversation going past IWD

Women on their own cannot change the status quo, we need men standing with us to do this. Maybe we do need to set targets and quotas to move the dial forward rather than waiting for organic change? This is not something I generally support, but right now I feel we are stuck.

It concerns me that my daughter's generation are not as connected to this day as we once were. To me, this shows that we are failing yet again as a generation of change-makers don’t genuinely believe they can move the dial. Why should they have to have the same fight we and generations before have fought?

IWD is not a day that empowers me, rather reminds me of how little we have progressed. The theme for 2023 is #embraceequity. I see equity not as something we need to embrace as a nice to have, but as a fundamental human right.

We shouldn’t have to fight for equity, or justify it, it should be a given. Equity is about the financial, emotional, and physical safety of women. Equity is over 280 years away.

We need to accelerate far beyond equity and into full empowerment of women.

Because when we lead with diversity, everybody, every ecosystem and every form or life benefits.

Hopefully I have given you a different perspective of IWD. Celebrate the day, eat an IWD cupcake if you feel inclined. However, make sure that you don’t sugar-coat progress. Please make at least one fundamental change in your business that will create equity.

Build, Buy & Borrow Talent - Overcoming the Talent Drought

We have a talent war on our hands, finding and keeping people in our businesses has become harder. 

The pandemic blended the world of work and home in a way that has never happened. We went from sharing stories about our pets, children and partners at work to seeing them online as we held our meetings.

The workplace got humanized, we saw people in their natural environments and the concept of work life balance that we searched for, did training and coaching on simply moved to being about life.

So before you go on your next recruitment drive consider exactly what you are offering, is it competitive and who is the talent you are trying to attract into your business. 

Hybrid models enable people to work from anywhere, how you manage their work flows and productivity becomes a challenge.

And there isn’t a one size fits all. Remember we have gone from – you come into the office to do the work, to finding out how you prefer to work, overlaying that with the business needs and finding a win win solution that works for the employee and the business.

We have gone from standard workplace contracts or agreements to bespoke ones, we now need to match how the work is done to how the employee prefers to do the work. 

There is no going back, the horse has long bolted on this issue, I know many people who have said to me that if they take the flexibility away then I am leaving the job. Employers who feel that they can hold onto the “old” ways of recruiting and retaining talent will the most under threat.

If how we work has changed then how we recruit must also change and wouldn’t hybrid models actually increase the talent pool and make you attractive as an employer.

To dive deeper into this topic, I reached out to Michelle Loader who is the Managing Director of Future Leadership. You can listen to our conversation on Future Fit Leadership Podcast.

9 ways to better communicate in a virtual world – Lessons from Lasso & Barone

9 ways to better communicate in a virtual world – Lessons from Lasso & Barone 

Communication is one of the most critical skill sets you need as a leader. And it's not communicating by hiding behind a keyboard, or only when things are wrong. It is the constant and everyday conversations that have the most impact. 

I don’t know how many of you watch the Apple series Ted Lasso, if you don’t you must! The show is about an American football coach who finds himself in the UK coaching a soccer team. 

I started watching it, curious as it had great reviews. Now I am binging it and soaking in the leadership lessons. 

Lasso is an extremely positive character, even when the entire football ground is calling him a wanker (you need to watch the show) he still manages to have a smile on his face. 

Lasso is focused on the long term goals, however also very realistic about the talent of his players, he understands what they are insecure about and what their long term goals are. And because he does, he can provide feedback that supports them and ensure they believe in themselves and the team goals. 

He is comfortable being open and vulnerable and an awesome communicator. He is curious, wanting to learn more and almost an annoyingly positive outlook on life. 

Some of the lessons on this show are about, being curious rather than judgemental, asking better questions, being a goldfish – not dwelling on our mistakes rather learning from them and teamwork makes great work. 

Communication from a CEO, Director, team leader, manager can make or break that team.  It is so much easier when everyone is in the office to have a conversation while making a coffee, walking past a desk, saying good morning, in  your office, you can eyeball them, watch their body language and assess if you have gotten through. 

This is much harder virtually. If you come across as confusing, nervous and lack confidence, people will lose confidence in you and your ability to lead 

Today, leaders need to be able to communicate clearly to build connection with the company values, goals, culture, performance - not just when they are face to face, but virtually as well. 

You need to be present – “be where your feet are”, as Gilbert Enoka used to say. Listen actively. We all know how easy it is to get distracted virtually and keep everyone else connected to the conversation as well. 

All this is not as easy as it sounds, especially today in a virtual world. In Episode 2 of Future Fit Leadership we talk to Maritza Barone about her 9 communication tips in a virtual world. 

She takes us through the importance of preparation, listening, storytelling, breath, language, interaction, the pause, pace and tone and authenticity. 

Combine this with the lessons from Ted Lasso and you will definitely fine tune your communication skills.

Is this the death of a 5 day work week?

I have been following with interest the trials of the four-day work week that are being run by various groups globally.

The results are resounding; employees love it and productivity is high, as is employee engagement. Will it last and can we sustain this long term?

Let’s face it, two days isn’t really long enough to recover when many of our people are working long hours due to inefficient technology, increased client expectations, outdated systems and processes, and people not willing to drive and adopt change. All of which cause high levels of stress, unhappy clients and employees, and ultimately, the loss of people from the business.

So, would you be willing to work for a business that enables you to work four days a week, where you must do 100 per cent of the work, 80 per cent of the time for 100 per cent of the pay?

It would mean that we would potentially have less meetings, high levels of efficiency and automation, less emails, high levels of productivity, and more connection and collaboration with our teams.

Imagine what you could do with that extra day off. And you must leave your phone behind at work so you are genuinely not disturbed and those doing your work can take the calls.

However, the key for a four-day week to work long term, I believe, is our ability to keep up productivity. Can we do 100 per cent of the work 80 per cent of the time long term?

We do need to rethink the world of work; we are being challenged to do so, and the old paradigm that work is only done in the office is certainly dead.

The other consideration is, “Will remuneration be impacted long term? Will it open up the door for more job share opportunities? Could we bring more women back into the workplace part-time?”

The four-day work week trial is in play, and the results will be in over the next six months. It isn’t something I recommend you implement without these results and a strategy that involves your people.

In the meantime, here is my conversation with Michelle Rigg from Rent West in WA who is currently participating in one of the trials. Future Fit Leadership Podcast Please rate and review if you love what you hear.